Israel is pursuing its agricultural development projects in India, despite attempts there to boycott the Jewish state.
Israel recently launched a three year action plan for the Indo-Israeli Agricultural Project (IIAP) and inaugurated a new Center of Excellence in Tamil Nadu.
Ambassador Gil Haskel, the head of MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, visited the country earlier this month and was present at the inauguration ceremony.
Israeli Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon noted that “the IIAP is MASHAV’s biggest project outside of Israel and holds a significant portion of our bilateral relations.”
Israel’s “success story” in India and the agricultural cooperation “is second to none, and it is only the beginning,” Carmon stated. “We hope to see the same achievements in the fields of water, innovation and academia.”
Israel’s unveiling of its latest agricultural program comes despite a recent announcement by India’s largest national organization representing farmers that it has joined the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanction) movement.
All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) announced in November that it endorsed boycotts against Israel until it “complies with international law, in order to stand for the rights of the Palestinian people and to resist the corporate takeover of the Indian agriculture sector by Israeli companies.”
Israel’s Proud History of Aiding India
Israel has a long and proud history of providing aid to Indian farmers and helping them develop their agricultural endeavors.
In October 2017, thanks to Israeli drip irrigation, 15,000 farmers in Karnataka, southwestern India, harvested their first monsoon season crop in years.
Israeli biotech company, BioFeed, has developed a “no-spray” solution to kill the fruit flies that have been devastating mango plantations in India.
In 2016, the Indian state of Haryana initiated micro-irrigation projects based on Israeli expertise at 14 sites. Israeli agricultural professionals work extensively in Haryana and neighboring Punjab, as well as around the country.
In December 2015, The Indo-Israel vegetable center of excellence in Haryana boosted the annual number of seedlings grown by state farmers from half a million in 2011 to six million in 2015. Farmers from Punjab, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are also using the facility.
In April 2015, India signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel to set up a dairy development center in Haryan. It includes a model dairy farm with 110 cows to teach Indian farmers about Israeli technology to increase production in the world’s largest milk producer.
By: United with Israel Staff
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